Expert Predicts Nancy Guthrie’s Alleged Bitcoin Ransom Payment Could Occur Within Minutes as Monday Deadline Looms

The anxiety is mounting as the deadline looms for the safe return of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, the well-known anchor of NBC’s “Today” show. Nancy has been missing for over a week, and the family is desperately hoping for her safe return.

In a troubling twist, individuals claiming to be holding Nancy have been in contact with the Guthrie family through media channels since last Monday. They are demanding a hefty ransom of $6 million, to be paid in Bitcoin. However, the situation remains fraught with uncertainty, as there has been no assurance that paying the ransom would secure Nancy’s release. Despite the family’s repeated public appeals, there has been no proof of life or a way to establish direct communication with those allegedly holding her.

Adding to the urgency, a new deadline has been set by the purported ransomers for Monday at 5:00 p.m., which has been termed as “far more consequential” than the previous deadline that passed last Thursday without resolution.

In response to the distressing situation, NBC has shared an undated photograph of Nancy Guthrie with her daughter, Savannah, in an effort to garner more attention and hopefully aid in her safe return.

Law enforcement agencies are treating the ransom demands with utmost seriousness. Harvey Levin from TMZ, one of the media outlets that received a letter from the alleged captors, mentioned that the letter contained specific details that only those responsible for the disappearance would know, adding a chilling authenticity to the threat.

According to an expert who spoke to Fox News Digital, a Bitcoin transaction, even one with a $6 million sum, would be quick and untraceable. 

“So the way the payment would work is just wallet to wallet, but the point of it is it wouldn’t be tracked,” Rosecliff Ventures CEO Michael Murphy said. “You wouldn’t be able to trace where my wallet came from, and you wouldn’t be able to trace what wallet it was going to.”

FBI agents canvass homes near Nancy Guthrie’s home in Tucson on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. Guthrie was last seen on Saturday night as an investigation into her disappearance continues. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Even if the Guthries have never exchanged cryptocurrency before, they could open a wallet, deposit the money and send it with only a few clicks. 

“Click, click done,” he said. “And you wouldn’t know where it went, or you couldn’t even check. A lot of times these people have different IP addresses being found in different places. So you’d be like, ‘oh they were in Russia oh now, wait, they were in Florida, oh no, they’re in Paris.’ So you wouldn’t really know.”

An unconfirmed report from TMZ on Monday said that a Bitcoin wallet for the potential transaction remains empty. 

Local and federal authorities have collaborated on the high-profile case, which has captured the attention of the nation. 

Savannah Guthrie and her siblings Annie and Cameron made an emotional plea on Instagram asking anyone with information about their mother Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance to come forward. (Credit: Instagram/@SavannahGuthrie/Today)

In their latest message to Nancy’s alleged captors, Savannah and sister Annie, along with brother Camron, once again pleaded for Nancy’s release, and made a promise to pay. 

“We received your message, and we understand,” Savannah said on Instagram on Saturday. “We beg you now to return our mother to us so we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”